---
title: Text Field
label: Text
order: 180
desc: Text field types simply save a string to the database and provide the Admin Panel with a text input. Learn how to use Text fields, see examples and options.
keywords: text, fields, config, configuration, documentation, Content Management System, cms, headless, javascript, node, react, nextjs
---

The Text Field is one of the most commonly used fields. It saves a string to the database and provides the [Admin Panel](../admin/overview) with a simple text input.

<LightDarkImage
  srcLight="https://payloadcms.com/images/docs/fields/text.png"
  srcDark="https://payloadcms.com/images/docs/fields/text-dark.png"
  alt="Shows a text field and read-only text field in the Payload Admin Panel"
  caption="Admin Panel screenshot of a Text field and read-only Text field"
/>

To add a Text Field, set the `type` to `text` in your [Field Config](./overview):

```ts
import type { Field } from 'payload'

export const MyTextField: Field = {
  // ...
  type: 'text', // highlight-line
}
```

## Config Options

| Option                 | Description                                                                                                                                                                 |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **`name`** \*          | To be used as the property name when stored and retrieved from the database. [More](/docs/fields/overview#field-names)                                                      |
| **`label`**            | Text used as a field label in the Admin Panel or an object with keys for each language.                                                                                     |
| **`unique`**           | Enforce that each entry in the Collection has a unique value for this field.                                                                                                |
| **`minLength`**        | Used by the default validation function to ensure values are of a minimum character length.                                                                                 |
| **`maxLength`**        | Used by the default validation function to ensure values are of a maximum character length.                                                                                 |
| **`validate`**         | Provide a custom validation function that will be executed on both the Admin Panel and the backend. [More](/docs/fields/overview#validation)                                |
| **`index`**            | Build an [index](/docs/database/overview) for this field to produce faster queries. Set this field to `true` if your users will perform queries on this field's data often. |
| **`saveToJWT`**        | If this field is top-level and nested in a config supporting [Authentication](/docs/authentication/overview), include its data in the user JWT.                             |
| **`hooks`**            | Provide Field Hooks to control logic for this field. [More details](../hooks/fields).                                                                                       |
| **`access`**           | Provide Field Access Control to denote what users can see and do with this field's data. [More details](../access-control/fields).                                          |
| **`hidden`**           | Restrict this field's visibility from all APIs entirely. Will still be saved to the database, but will not appear in any API or the Admin Panel.                            |
| **`defaultValue`**     | Provide data to be used for this field's default value. [More](/docs/fields/overview#default-values)                                                                        |
| **`localized`**        | Enable localization for this field. Requires [localization to be enabled](/docs/configuration/localization) in the Base config.                                             |
| **`required`**         | Require this field to have a value.                                                                                                                                         |
| **`admin`**            | Admin-specific configuration. [More details](#admin-options).                                                                                                               |
| **`custom`**           | Extension point for adding custom data (e.g. for plugins)                                                                                                                   |
| **`hasMany`**          | Makes this field an ordered array of text instead of just a single text.                                                                                                    |
| **`minRows`**          | Minimum number of texts in the array, if `hasMany` is set to true.                                                                                                          |
| **`maxRows`**          | Maximum number of texts in the array, if `hasMany` is set to true.                                                                                                          |
| **`typescriptSchema`** | Override field type generation with providing a JSON schema                                                                                                                 |
| **`virtual`**          | Provide `true` to disable field in the database. See [Virtual Fields](https://payloadcms.com/blog/learn-how-virtual-fields-can-help-solve-common-cms-challenges)            |

_\* An asterisk denotes that a property is required._

## Admin Options

The customize the appearance and behavior of the Text Field in the [Admin Panel](../admin/overview), you can use the `admin` option:

```ts
import type { Field } from 'payload'

export const MyTextField: Field = {
  // ...
  admin: { // highlight-line
    // ...
  },
}
```

The Text Field inherits all of the default options from the base [Field Admin Config](../admin/fields#admin-options), plus the following additional options:

| Option         | Description                                                                                                      |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **`placeholder`** | Set this property to define a placeholder string in the text input.                                              |
| **`autoComplete`** | Set this property to a string that will be used for browser autocomplete.                                        |
| **`rtl`**        | Override the default text direction of the Admin Panel for this field. Set to `true` to force right-to-left text direction. |

## Example

`collections/ExampleCollection.ts`

```ts
import type { CollectionConfig } from 'payload'

export const ExampleCollection: CollectionConfig = {
  slug: 'example-collection',
  fields: [
    {
      name: 'pageTitle', // required
      type: 'text', // required
      required: true,
    },
  ],
}
```
